Candlelit Romance at Carton House: Ligia & Mark

Today's real wedding is all kinds of beautiful. We're talking serious eye candy here folks; the most enchanting room in Carton House, the most romantic tablescape, elegant DIY details, gorgeous style and exquisite attention to detail. And at the centre of it all, the sweetest pair, Ligia and Mark. Keeping their guest list small, the couple went all in on the details - from the calligraphy invitations to the show-stopping florals - creating a day that was sophisticated yet personal. With her dreamy fine art style, Anna G Photography captured all the romance of this intimate celebration.

Ligia and Mark were both in Romania and raised in Dublin, “Mark moved to Ireland when he was just a few months old after he was adopted by an Irish family,” explains Ligia. “Ligia moved over when she was eight years old with her family. We are now living in Cork since the wedding,” says Mark.

Ligia’s mum did her hair for her wedding day, which the bride tells us was a really special moment - didn’t she do a gorgeous job!

Ligia paired her shoes and dress perfectly, with jewel embellishment amping up the glamour of her look.

The couple met while they were studying computer science at Maynooth, “I was in my first year and Mark was in his second,” recalls Ligia, “Mark happened to be in the same class as my older brother Onis, and they were very good friends. One day I bumped into my brother while on my way to class and Mark happened to be there with him outside the building. After I left, he asked my brother who I was and when he heard I was the sister he knew it would be difficult to ask me out without getting my brother's approval.”

It took a while for Mark to pluck up the courage to ask Ligia to cinema with his class, “Little did I know that later on that evening everyone would conveniently drop out and not join us. Mark asked if I still wanted to go so I said yes. We went to see the Lion King and on our way home while we were in the car Mark asked if I wanted to go out with him. I immediately said yes since I liked him from the moment we had met.”

The couple were force to spend some time apart over the years, “Mark decided to change career from being an engineer to being an airline pilot and following his childhood dream. We were in a long distance relationship for 16 months while Mark was finishing training to be a pilot in southern Spain,” Ligia tells us, “A lot of trips to Spain were made over and back during this period of time. It was hard but so worth it in the end”

It was on the last of these trips, this time to Madrid, that Mark popped the question, “I decided to fly out on to see him on his birthday which happens to be the day after my birthday,” explains Ligia, “It was a beautiful sunny day with clear skies and we were exploring Madrid together that afternoon.”

Props to Mark for finding the dream opportunity to propose, “We got to the Royal Palace of Madrid and we decided to sit on the steps of Almudena Cathedral which overlooks the palace. A harpist and violinist happened to be playing outside the palace gates the song Hallelujah right at the moment. Mark knew it was the perfect moment and popped the big questions while holding the most beautiful halo ring ! I said yes! I couldn’t contain my happiness!”

The couple struck the perfect atmosphere for their intimate celebration, “The look and feel of our wedding was romantic, elegant and intimate. The location, the ceremony and reception room gave the wedding a royal feel along with all the little details, from our DIY ornate gold welcome sign to the hand written calligraphy invitations.”

Ligia surprised Mark by singing to him before their vows. She chose ‘From This Moment’ by Shania Twain.

Ligia wasn’t the only one in her family who shared their musical talents, “My two older brothers did the music at the ceremony and it was so special having family involved in some of the important parts of the wedding.”

Ligia's white and green bouquet by The French Touch fuses classic and contemporary with luxe white florals and lots of texture.

This pair knew exactly what they wanted for their day from the outset, “Our priorities from day one were having delicious food and a relaxed atmosphere. Keeping the wedding small and intimate was also a priority so we could spend time with those closest to us on the day, our families and godparents.”

This view into their reception in The Gold Salon gives me real life goosebumps - it's just stunning.

The location of Carton House had a special significance for the bride and groom, “We both went to university in Maynooth and we used to drive past Carton House every day for four years. Meeting in Maynooth and getting married in Maynooth just felt so right! Carton House was the first venue we went to see and we booked it right there and then on the day.”

The venue was also a great fit for the relaxed, romantic atmosphere they were after, “Because we had a small wedding with just our families and godparents attending, the size of the room was also so important to us. The Gold Salon at Carton House was everything and more! The ornate ceiling with the gold details fit in perfectly with the theme and colour palette we had chosen.”

The beautiful menus were designed by Ligia, “It took a few tries but I eventually got there and they were just like I had imagined.”

The couple got their friends and family to make their mark with a unique guestbook, “A personalised globe with our names on it and with the message “So the adventure begins”, which people signed along with a bucket list that our guests had to put together for us. Since we both love travelling and exploring this guest book idea was perfect! It’s great being able to display it in our home and not have it sitting in a press somewhere.”

The small but ornate cake ties in beautifully with the regal setting, don't you think?

This pair’s advice for other engaged couples? “Keep the wedding small and intimate, you’ll be able to enjoy the planning process and the day a lot more without the unnecessary worries that comes with having a bigger wedding. You will also be able to spend quality time with each guest on the day in particular.”

While the couple plan to head to Sri Lanka for their honeymoon this year, Ligia and Mark did make time after their wedding for a trip to Tenerife, “We stayed at the beautiful and luxurious Hotel Jardin Tropical which is surrounded by tropical gardens. We absolutely loved the seafood at Las Rocas restaurant in the resort. The restaurant setting is stunning with the waves crashing against the rocks below the restaurant which hangs over the Atlantic Ocean,” recommends Ligia, “We also rented a moped and spent time exploring the island. We visited Mount Teide and Teide National Park which was incredible!”

And a sparkler send-off finale! Thanks so much to Ligia and Mark for sharing their wedding with us, and to Anna G Photography for documenting it so beautifully.